Berner Oberland Questions
 

Hi all. We are staying in Wengen for 3 nights and will have 2.5 full days to explore the area. We'll be with our 2 teen boys.

Are these 2 days too ambitious:

One day: Mannlichen then hike down to Klein Scheidegg and continue on to Grindelwald to see the First Viewpoint Station. Return to Wengen.

Second day: Go down to Lauterbrunnen, see Stabbauch and Trummel. Falls and the town, continue on to Murren and go either to Schilthorn or the Allmendhubel funicular. Return to Wengen.

What type of rail pass should be by? (We are arriving into Lauterbrunnen by car).

One our third day, we have to leave mid-day to go to Zurich b/c our flight home is the next day.

On the way out, we were thinking of stopping and going up to Sehynige Platte. How long should we budget to do that?

I know I butchered a lot of spelling in this thread.

I do this all the time - I really DO proofread my posts, and then when I re-read them once they are posted, I notice the OBVIOUS spelling errors.

The question is, What type of rail pass should we buy?

If arriving and leaving by car i don't think any railpass is in order - definitely not Swiss Pass nor Swiss Card which are useful for folks getting there

The Half-Fare Card, 99 CH francs or about $100 gives you 50% off everything you'll be doing but i do not know if you will be spending $200 at full fare

But kids i think get a Family Card (are they under 16?) in which case for 20 CH francs they get a Family Pass that gives them free travel on anything you buy a 50% or 100% ticket on - i think this can be bought even if you do not buy a Half-Fare card, which are sold locally at any train station.

If you were not doing the pricey Schilthorn i'd say probably nothing except the no-brainer under 16 Family Pass.

There are Berner Oberland passes and Jungfraubahn passes but seems to pricey for what you are doing - which i think is very great and not overdoing it for teens at least - not sure about half way over the hill parents!

Assuming you take the effortless cable up to Mannlichen then the hike to Kleide Scheidegg is really flat and easy few mile stroll really

Mannlichen of course know for its nifty view into both the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys and over the lakes hemmed in Interlaken below - fantastic - sit on the meadow there and be mesmerized.

More specific on whether say you are planning to hike down to Grindelwald from Kl-Sch or train it?

I walked up once and that was a real strenous thing - going down can be as tiring due to the constantly breaking required - at least for older knees.

Thanks, PalenQ.

My kids aren't overly fond of hiking, so we were going to take the train from Kleine Scheigegg to Grindelwald, b/c I also figured it would save us some time.

I appreciate your insights.

On the first day (assuming the weather is clear), I would go up to Jungfrau because it is such a unique place. Our kids really enjoyed this part of Switzerland.

The Swiss half fare card is probably the best pass option BUT!!!!!!
only if you spend enough to amortize the cost of the pass. If you take just a few rides, it may not reward you.

You can find individual fares at this location.
http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/Deskto...9/86_read-158/

It is in English and gives a list of prices so you can get a comparison.

Travel is free between 6 and 15 years of age with the junior card, provided one parent is present. Sixteen and up pay adult fares.

For an adult, the Jungfraujoch from Wengen is 145 chf round trip. With the half fare card you would pay 72.50. If you then went from Grindelwald to First (assuming you would drive to Grindelwald), that ticket is 51 chf. With the card you would pay 25.50. Those two trips alone would cost you 196 chf without any discount and a total of 99+72.50+25.50 or 197 with the half fare card.

So those two trips alone would actually put you past the breakeven point because you have to pay to ride up and down the mountain side between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen.

That round trip fare is 12.40.


Anything else you did would be cheaper with the card than without.

So as with all passes, it depends on what you do while you are there.

There is no discount instrument that I know of which will automatically result in savings.

I know it sounds paradoxical, but you have to spend to save!!!!

<<If you then went from Grindelwald to First (assuming you would drive to Grindelwald),

Our plan was this: start in Wengen, take train/cable to Mannlichen, walk down to Klein Scheddegg. From there take train to Grindelwald, and then take train/cable up to the First viewpoint.

They do connect like that, right?

I really, really hope we have good weather! We're going in early to mid-July.

U gotta go to Jungfrau... our 15 y.o. daughter loved it as much as we did!

If that is your plan, it is a very good one. The train ride from Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald is expensive.

It alone for an adult is 31 chf.
Then I assume you will return to Wenben via the normal route via Zweilütschinen where you change trains.

Be sure to check the time of the last departure from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen because after the departure at 17:50 or 5:50 PM you will have a long wait in Zweilütschinen for the connecting train. You could almost walk it faster.

The trip length goes from 35 minutes to 1 hour, 5 minutes if you miss the 17:50 train. I urge an early start to the Männlichen so you can take a leisurely walk down to Kleine Scheidegg.

Once you get to KS, you will find that 3 rail lines meet. All three use different equipment because of the terrain.

The other option is to return by train via Kleine Scheidegg, but that is expensive. 54 chf

I would most definitely do the Grandma's walk from Mannlichen over to Kleine Scheidegg. That is basically a stroll, but as someone pointed out earlier in this thread, the views of Wengen and Grindlewald are great. Once at KS, you can take that train back down to Grindlewald station. Once in Grindlewald, you can walk or to save time, ride a short hop of a bus ride over to the First station cable.

This can be done, but start early. I would get out no later than 9 AM to start all of this. This will be a long day for you all in terms of taking cables and trains, so again I say. Get started on this no later than 9 AM.

I enjoy the excursions up to Allmendhubel. I walk over to Winteregg, but you might not want to that part of it, but you can pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the Murren area and mountains from up there. If the sun is out, it will totally great for you all.
Glad Bob Brown remembers the costs for these rides. I usually say How much? And pay the man and boom, that is it.

anyway, u have some good information and such.

Hi karens,

You all will have a fabulous time. I cannot help with the exact routing and best rail pass option, but others with more knowledge have already shared great advice. You may also want to consider contacting Budget Europe Travel Service (BETS) as they are extremely helpful. http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/ and their phone number is listed on the site.

We stayed in Wengen for 3 nights with our boys (then 12 and 15) and did many of the same things you are planning. We did not go to First/Grindelwald as we opted for a long hike, but as long as the connections work, it sounds like you can do it. Day 2 should also work - we did not go up all the way to the Schilthorn as the weather at the top was iffy, but I am sure we would have had time to do so.

Here is a link to my trip report if you are interested:

http://tinyurl.com/oh6e8

Happy Travels!! :-)

Hi Karens--I haven't done the math, but I think if any pass would work for you it would be the Half-Fare card, plus a Family Card for free passage for the boys, assuming they are 16 or under.

Since you are not planning on the Jungfraujoch trip it is possible a pass won't benefit you, but some of the other trips you plan (especially the Schilthorn) may still benefit.

I like your plan. You get the walk along Männlichen ridge, then train down to Grindelwald, a walk through town, and the ride up the First gondola for fantastic views. Try to talk the kids into at least the walk to Bachalpsee if you have time. (Don't miss the last gondola down!)

Depending on when lunchtime hits, you could have great pizza at Onkel Tom's Hütte in Grindelwald, or enjoy Rösti with a view at the restaurant at the top of the First gondola. Or if you get a late start at are hungry on the Männlichen walk, stop at one of the restaurants just before you get to Kleine Scheidegg craziness. We really likd the one on the left as you face Kleine Scheidegg. It may be called the Restaurant Lauberhorn, but I'm not sure. You can recognize it by the viewing platform with steps, alongside the dining deck.

The train back to Wengen from Grindelwald (rather than gondola plus lifts over the ridge) will likely be your cheapest option, but it's worth comparing the two.

On day 2, I would suggest going to Mürren first, before seeing the falls. You can decide between Schilthorn and Allemndhubel when you get there, but your chances for good weather are best earlier in the day. Whichever you choose, after that (and lunch), you can walk (or ride if you like) down to Gimmelwald, and take the very exciting cablecar ride that drops over the cliff and down to Stechelberg. From there you can walk along the river (tell the boys it is NOT a hike) to Trummelbach Falls and go through if you like (very cool and scenic).

Then finish the walk back to Lauterbrunnen. If you are lucky you'll have a paraglider or two land in the field right next to you like we did (they base-jump from the cliff above). You can detour the short distance to the base of Staubbach Falls just before town if you like. Then catch the train for the short trip back up to Wengen.

I am so jealous!!! Your family is going to have a wonderful time.

bkmking

To reach the First gondola in Grindelwald, you have a walk of about half a mile "up" the main street from the train station. You will see the cables rising slightly to your left as you walk along the street. If you walk past the church you have gone too far.

The station is slightly uphill from the main street.

You board a gondola that holds 4 people fairly easily, but if the day is not crowded I suggest you split up 2 and 2 so that each person has a better view of the Eiger and the surrounding peaks as you ascend.

The gondola car itself gets shunted between cable sections, but you do NOT get out of the car.

If you look behind you, don't be alarmed. That rapidly approaching gondola car will slow up just like you did before it reaches the end of the cable carry.

I recall my first ride up there. I think I needed tape to hold my eyes in place -- the trip was indeed eye popping.\

Of course it was our maiden voyage so to speak on a high cable system.
We had climbed fourteeners in the Rockies, but that first ascent is forever etched in my memory.

Even now after several trips, it never ceases to be a scenic ride.